The icebreaker is intended for operation in the Baltic, White, Azov and Caspian seas and on IWW
Petrazovodsk, Karelia based Onezhsky Shipbuilding, Ship Repair Yard (Onezhsky Shipyard) has laid down a shallow draft icebreaker (Hull No 151). The keel-laying ceremony for the icebreaker ordered by FSUE Rosmorport has been held today, 12 May 2023, according to Rosmorport.
Shallow draft icebreaker of Project 22740M is intended for operation in the Baltic, White, Azov and Caspian seas and on inland water ways as well as in other sea basins if necessary. The ship is to provide icebreaker assistance in winter navigation season. Its functions include escorting of ship convoys in challenging ice conditions, towing of vessels and floating facilities in ice and in ice-free conditions, as well as solving other tasks on servicing of ports’ water areas and infrastructure. The ships of this class can operate at water temperature between -2 and +30 Celcius degrees and at air temperature between -40 and +34 Celcius degrees.
The project’s general designer – Saint-Petersburg branch of Central Design Bureau “Lazurit”.
The designing and the construction is supervised by Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS) and complies with RS Rules. The ship’s class notation is КМ Icebreaker6 [2] АUT1-IСS OMBO FF3WS EPP ECO.
The keel-laying ceremony was attended by Mikhail Popov, Deputy Security Council Secretary; Elissan Shandalovich, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of Karelia; Dmitry Rodionov, Deputy Prime Minister of Karelia for Economic Issues; Vladimir Pospelov, member of the the board of the Military-Industrial Commission; representatives of Petrozavodsk authorities, Rosmorport, Lazurit, RS, Onezhsky Shipyard and other officials.
As IAA PortNews reported earlier, the contract on construction of two shallow draft icebreakers of Project 22740 at Far East shipyard Zvezda (consortium of Rosneftegaz, Rosneft and Gazprombank) was signed by Rosmorport in 2018. In August 2022, it was announced that FSUE Rosmorport handed over the order from Zvezda to Onezhsky Shipyard with the delivery of ships to begin in 2025.
FSUE Rosmorport is the world's largest owner of icebreakers fleet. Under the Comprehensive Plan for Modernization and Expansion of Core Infrastructure (CPMI), Rosmorport is going to build 10 icebreakers by 2030, reducing the average age of the icebreaking fleet to an average of 25 years.
Onezhsky Shipbuilding, Ship Repair Yard (Onezhsky Shipyard) was founded in 2002 on the basis of ship repair facilities of the Belomorsky-Onezhsky Shipping Company, formed in 1944. In 2011, after the enterprise management dismissal the shipyard production was suspended and was followed by the firm’s bankruptcy procedure. In late 2014 the enterprise was transferred to the state ownership with FSUE Rosmorport as the yard Founder and resumed its shipbuilding and ship repair business. The shipyard can build dry cargo carriers with deadweight of up to 5,500 tonnes, dredging and technical ships.
Photos from the website of Onezhsky Shipyard
